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Chinese New Year

The Chinese celebrate their ancient tradition, the Chinese New Year, at the beginning of the year by the Chinese lunar calendar.

At the beginning of the year the past year's symbol goes into limbo for 11 years before emerging for another one-year reign in the perpetual 12-year cycle of the Chinese Zodiac.

Chinese lunar New Year falls on the first day of the first moon. This varies in relation to the Gregorian calendar named after Pope Gregory XIII, who decreed it in 1582 to replace the Julian calendar introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 B.C.

The lunar calendar, which dates from 2698 B.C., thus predated the Julian calendar by 2652 years and the Gregorian calendar by 4280 years.

The Chinese New Year is the most colorful and important of China's fêtes. It is observed from the 16th of the 12th month until the 15th of the New Year. The Lunar New Year itself may occur as early as January 21 and as late as February 21.

On the 16th day of the last month, businesses close their accounts and thank the gods for a prosperous year. Even their customers join in by paying their debts. Everyone wants to start the New Year with a clean slate.

The New Year celebrations come to an end on the fifteenth day of the first moon, observed as the Lantern Festival. A feature of the festival is the eating of "yuan hsiao," a small dumpling made of rice flour and containing a sweet filling. The dumpling is round, symbolizing the full moon and complete family reunions.

Chinese New Year Symbols

The Year Of The Rat

Rats are: energetic, charming, honest and humorous. They can also be: greedy, petty and destructive.

The Year Of The Ox

Oxen are: patient, precise, leaders and strong. They can also be: stubborn, jealous and authoritarian.

The Year Of The Tiger

Tigers are: hugely generous, well-mannered, courageous, and passionate. They can also be: undisciplined, hasty and stubborn.

The Year Of The Hare

Hares are: discreet, social, gifted, forgiving and clever. They can also be: old-fashioned and aloof.

The Year Of The Dragon

Dragons are: shrewd, vital, lucky, generous, successful, and admirable. They can also be disquieting, willful and demanding.

The Year Of The Serpent

Serpents are: wise, cultivated, calm, decisive, and compassionate. They can also be possessive and extravagant.

The Year Of The Horse

Horses are: amiable, eloquent, frank, athletic, and hardworking. They can also be: selfish, impatient and rebellious.

The Year Of The Ram

Rams are: elegant, creative, peace-loving and sweet-natured. They can also be: pessimistic, dissatisfied and insecure.

The Year Of The Monkey

Monkeys are: witty, acutely intelligent, enthusiastic and passionate. They can also be: tricky, calculating and unfaithful.

The Year Of The Rooster

Roosters are: frank, vivacious, sincere, industrious and popular. They can also be: mistrustful and short-sighted.

The Year Of The Dog

Dogs are: courageous, noble, devoted, loyal, prosperous and intelligent. They can also be: pessimistic, critical and stubborn.

The Year Of The Boar

Boars are: loyal, sincere, impartial, peaceable, decisive and sensitive. They can also be: naive and willful.

Symbols and Calendar